Shortly arriving on a WHV. A few questions.

Hi everyone

I will be arriving in Japan on a WHV on October 19 and have a few basic questions about the essentials of the first few days.

I hope you can help me with them.

I plan to base myself in Osaka for the first few months, at least two and so will be looking to arrange accomodation in a gaijin house or similar. I shall be contacting companies and arranging things before I leave but will want to view the apartments first when I arrive before signing anything.

Are there any particular companies that you can reccomend or conversely avoid in such a process.

I will also need to open a bank account and sort myself out a mobile phone. I have heard some banks are wary of allowing foreigners to open accounts and that some conservative banks require an enkan to open the account.

Any advice on opening an account and obtaining a phone will be useful.

I know no one in Osaka and speak minimal Japanese though have begun teaching myself so I can make simple sentences and know all basic greetings and polite expressions.

Thanks for your help!

Tom

You usually need a fixed address and residence permit to open an account. Many banks require inkan, but the major banks also offered accounts (i.e. people could use their signature as authority other than the inkan), primarily aimed at foreigners. Or, at least Sumitomo Bank used to, I don't know if they still do.
You should be able to rent a mobile phone at the airport. Maybe there are other options, but I think without an address your options will be very limited.